Fresh from its successful hosting of Africa's first World Cup, AP quoted South Africa as saying Tuesday it will bid to bring the Olympics to Africa for the first time in 2020. The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee said it would «formally oversee a bid for the 2020 Games and encouraged potential host cities to «state their intention of being involved in the process.» Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg are considered possible bid cities. South Africa's Olympic body said the announcement, just two days after the World Cup final in Johannesburg, «comes in the wake of resounding international acclaim for the manner in which South Africa staged the 2010 Fifa World Cup.» SASCOC said the successful World Cup and the «endorsement» of a possible Olympic bid by South Africa president Jacob Zuma led to the decision to proceed with the 2020 effort. «We have decided that the way forward would be to engage government and key stakeholders,» SASCOC chief executive Tubby Reddy said, «but our intention is to provide a world-class city capable of hosting Africa's first Olympic Games in 2020.» Reddy invited possible candidate cities in South Africa to contact him directly as to what's required to bid for the Games. Zuma's spokesman, Zizi Kodwa, said SASCOC's decision had not yet reached the president's office but stressed the World Cup proved South Africa could stage the Olympics. «In terms of our capacity, there is no event that we cannot host,» Kodwa told The Associated Press. -- SPA
